Shared room scale virtual and mixed reality storytelling for a multi-person audience that may be physically co-located

Abstract

A system for viewing a shared virtual reality having a plurality of virtual reality headsets. Each headset producing a shared virtual reality that is viewed by persons wearing the headsets. The system comprises a communication network to which each headset is in communication to send and receive a virtual orientation and a virtual position associated with each person of the persons wearing the headsets. The system comprises a computer in communication with each headset through the network which transmits a virtual audience that is viewed by each headset. The virtual audience formed from the virtual orientation and the virtual position associated with each person wearing the headset over time as each person views the virtual story, so each person views in the headset the person is wearing the virtual story, the virtual orientation and virtual position of each other person of the persons wearing the headset. A method for viewing a shared virtual reality. A non-transitory readable storage medium which includes a computer program stored on the storage medium in a non-transient memory for viewing a shared virtual reality.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for viewing a shared virtual reality by physically collocated_audience members in a room comprising:
 a plurality of virtual reality headsets, each headset producing a shared virtual reality that is viewed by audience members wearing the headsets, the headsets are physically collocated on the audience members in the room; 
 a communication network to which each headset is in communication to send and receive a virtual orientation and a virtual position associated with each audience member wearing the headsets; and 
 a computer in communication with each headset through the network which transmits a virtual audience that is viewed by each headset, the virtual audience formed from the virtual orientation and the virtual position associated with each audience member wearing the headset over time as each audience member views a virtual reality, so each audience member views in the headset the audience member is wearing the virtual story, the virtual orientation and virtual position of each other audience member wearing the headset in the virtual story, the co-located viewers of the shared virtual reality have a shared social experience, with a full benefit of seeing other audience members positions in the shared virtual reality that correspond to their actual locations in the room, as well as seeing where all the other audience members are looking in the shared virtual reality, the computer sends a timestamp to the headsets through the network which the headsets use to synchronize the virtual reality between the headsets so there will not be any difference in perceived time between audience members greater than 100 milliseconds and there will not be any perceived sudden time shifts. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the virtual position associated with each audience member wearing the headset includes a seat assigned to the headset of each audience member and the audience member in the seat positioned as seated. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2  wherein the computer sends to the headset through the network when to play the virtual story. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3  wherein the computer sends to the headsets through the network a current time location regarding the virtual reality. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4  wherein each headset sends a registration signal through the network to other headsets which includes a runtime representation that is used in the virtual reality to render a representation associated with each headset in the virtual reality. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5  wherein each headset sends a virtual position and a virtual orientation associated with the headset to the other headsets. 
     
     
       7. The system of  Claim 6  wherein the computer renders each runtime representation of the virtual audience as an avatar whose position and orientation is updated a plurality of times per second. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7  wherein the computer renders each avatar in the virtual reality as a seated humanoid model, whose head joint position and orientation are manipulated using the position and orientation received through the network and results each audience member being able to see a virtual visual representation of the position and movements of all other audience members who are currently in each audience member's field of view in the virtual reality. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8  wherein the position and orientation of the avatars in the virtual reality correspond to actual physical positions, orientations and movements of the audience members. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9  wherein the computer renders a viewpoint in the virtual reality for each headset from the seat assigned to the headset and the audience member of each seat is able to see the movement of all other audience members currently within the audience member's field of vision in the virtual reality thereby supporting a sense for each audience member that they are part of a live physical audience in the virtual reality. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10  wherein the computer renders the viewpoint of the virtual reality unique, different and distinct for each headset. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11  wherein the computer sends when to play the virtual reality and the current time location regarding the virtual reality as key-value pairs. 
     
     
       13. A method for viewing a shared virtual reality by physically collocated audience members in a room comprising the steps of:
 placing virtual reality headsets on heads of audience members, the headsets are physically collocated on the audience members in the room; 
 sending with a computer a timestamp to the headsets through a network which the headsets use to synchronize the virtual reality between the headsets so there will not be any difference in perceived time between audience members greater than 100 milliseconds and there will not be any perceived sudden time shifts: and 
 watching a virtual story in the virtual reality in the headset from a virtual audience in the virtual reality, the virtual audience comprising and corresponding to virtual orientations and virtual positions of other persons wearing other virtual reality headsets which also show the virtual story at a same time, the virtual audience and virtual story viewed by the audience member based on the virtual position and virtual orientation of the audience member in the virtual story, with a full benefit of seeing other audience members positions in the virtual story that correspond to their actual locations in the room, as well as seeing where all the other audience members are looking in the virtual story. 
 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory readable storage medium includes a computer program stored on the storage medium in a non-transient memory for viewing a shared virtual reality by physically collocated audience members in a room having the computer-generated steps of:
 watching a virtual story in the virtual reality in a headset from a virtual audience in the virtual reality by a virtual member of the virtual audience, the virtual audience comprising and corresponding to virtual orientations and virtual positions of other persons wearing other virtual reality headsets which also show the virtual story at a same time;
 sending a timestamp to the headsets through a network which the headsets use to synchronize the virtual reality between the headsets so there will not be any difference in perceived time between audience members greater than 100 milliseconds and there will not be any perceived sudden time shifts; and 
 
 viewing by the audience member from the virtual audience the virtual story based on the virtual position and virtual orientation of the audience member in the virtual story, with a full benefit of seeing other audience members' positions in the virtual story that correspond to their actual locations in the room, as well as seeing where all the other audience members are looking in the virtual story.